The film, produced over the course of four years, follows a convicted murderer, Uisdean, struggling to rebuild his life and his reputation in the remote Highland village where his family have lived for 200 years, and where he now cares for his father.

The project initially started as a short film, in which McLoughlan said she “very much let him tell his own story. I didn’t edit it very much.”

The purpose of the longer film was to be “a lot more sceptical, a lot more socially responsible,” and bring editorial balance to Uisdean’s explanation of his criminal past.

McLoughlan said that she “realised that [Uisdean’s] biggest battle would be staying out of prison, and that was probably where the story was going to be.” Her suspicion was right, and Uisdean’s battle to stay out of prison becomes the documentary’s defining narrative.

What makes Uisdean’s story fascinating is the internal conflict between his apparently violent history and his budding romantic relationship that is captured on camera.

Regarding the significance of the film’s stunning imagery of the Highland landscape, McLoughlan explained, “I knew that he was ridiculously romantic about the Highlands – the idea that it would in some way cleanse him.”

The film seeks to redress that “idealistic” image of the Highlands, and illustrate that it is also a landscape of conflict.

“Sometimes there is an issue of the Highlands being more a case of shortbread and [tweed] costume than substance.

“It is a Highland myth that it’s cleansing and pastoral in itself. I became fascinated by the image of a porcelain boy [in Uisdean’s father’s house] which looks incredibly cute, but when you look closely at him, you see he’s throttling a rabbit by the neck.”

The documentary’s soundtrack, which features a score of electronic Icelandic and Scottish-Norweigan folk music was also chosen to reflect that conflict, that “mixture of the beautiful and the ugly going on at the same time.”

The external conflict of his setting was an apt reflection of Uisdean’s own internal struggle. McLoughlan was interested in exploring “when [the landscape] is a healing thing for someone who’s been in a very tiny cell for sixteen years, and when it’s a torment, because there are no other distractions. There is just you, and your past, and your failure to reinvent yourself.”

From 7 – 21 March, the Frontline Club and the Scottish Documentary Institute are teaming up to present New Scottish Documentary, a series showcasing some of the boldest and most innovative new works produced in Scotland. Featuring one screening per week, we’ll be celebrating the richness of Scottish nonfiction filmmaking, including discussions with veteran documentary-makers and up-and-coming directors to watch.

Scotland on Screen is an evening of short films produced with assistance from the Scottish Documentary Institute and showcasing the diverse beauty of the Scottish landscape, immersing viewers in breathtaking scenes and remarkable stories from communities across the country.

The lineup:

THE PERFECT FIT
Director: Tali Yankelevich
2011 / 10 min / United Kingdom
www.scottishdocinstitute.com/films/the-perfect-fit

In a Scottish ballet shoe factory, a group of men demonstrate the labour of love involved in hand-crafting the perfect pair of shoes. The Perfect Fit looks at professional ballet through the eyes of a shoemaker who pounds his soul out making each pair perfect, trying to ease the burden on the dancers’ feet.

DIRECTED BY TWEEDIE
Director: Duncan Cowles
2011 / 17 min / United Kingdom
www.scottishdocinstitute.com/films/directed-by-tweedie

Making a film when you’re 87 is less than convenient. As granddad ‘Tweedie’ reluctantly takes up his new role as a filmmaker, we’re invited to examine the difficulties of communication between the generations, whilst exploring that unspoken contract that binds children to their grandparents.

CAILLEACH
Director: Rosie Reed Hillman
2014 / 14 min / United Kingdom
www.scottishdocinstitute.com/films/cailleach

Morag is 86. She lives alone at the end of a track looking out to sea on her croft on the Isle of Harris, Outer Hebrides, with her three cats and twelve sheep. Morag was born in this house and has lived here her whole life, following five generations of the family who came before her. Cailleach is a portrait of Morag and her simple and peaceful life as she contemplates her next chapter – and shares her unique sense of independence and the connection she has to her wild island home.

THE REGISTRARS
Director: Jane McAllister
2013 / 29 min / United Kingdom
www.scottishdocinstitute.com/films/the-registrars

An intimate insight into the busiest Register House in Scotland. Life, death and love pause and flow through marbled halls and infinite paperwork. Dedicated staff transition from grief to joy throughout the day as the people’s stories resonate with their own lives.

POUTERS
Director: Paul Fegan
2012 / 17 min / United Kingdom
www.scottishdocinstitute.com/films/pouters

A modern day story of undying commitment, rivalry, family and friendship interwoven by an underground and idiosyncratic Scottish sport. Rab and Danny, rivals for over 25 years with huge pride at stake, battle it out on the wing to become the reigning ‘Doo Fleein’ (pigeon flying) champion.